Fish-tape reel and puller



y 1931- 'r. A. DUNAGAN I 1,815,433

' FIS'H TAPE REEL AND FULLER Filed March 8, 1950 mmvro Dz/7m a ATTORNE Patented July 21, 1931 UNITED STATES THOMAS A. DUNAGAN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA FISH-TAPE REEL AND FULLER Application filed March a,

This invention relates to hand tools and more especially to electricians tools.

In electrical wire installations for buildings and institutions it is necessary to fish for and pull through the wires.

An object of this invention is to provide a substantial, practicable, and handy tool of few and simple parts, and ample capacity for fishing, reeling and holding a fish-tape and also incorporating means whereby to enable apowerful pulling tension to be applied in necessary cases.

Figure l is a top plan of the tool.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section.

Figure 3 is a cross-section, about full size.-

Figure 4 is a perspective of a clamp rasp art. p The tool consists of a pair of rigid, flat side rings 23 of similar size and proportions which are fixedly spaced a suitable distance as by spacer rivets 4 or other means.

A system of equispaced, parallel, transverse rollers 5 is supported in the side rings by spindles 6 and these spindles may be fixed and form spacers for the rings.

Each roller 5 has near its ends guide grooves or shoulders 7, those at each end of the system of rollers being coplanar and receiving and 80 supporting and guiding respective flanges or wall edges 8 of a trough-shaped running ring 10, from which the walls 8 turn outward as to its center.

A fish-tape 11, of high tensile strength '35 metal, has its inner end attached to the runner 10, and thence passes out through a guide tube 12 which is rigid with and tangential to the ring frame structure 23 and on the center plane thereof between the side rings.

When the run-out tape is free it can be very quickly and easily reeled onto the runner 10 by placing ones finger into a finger ring 13 and spinning the runner. in a winding direction.

If it is desired to exert a great pulling tension on the tape to facilitate fishing through the electrical wire to be installed (not shown) then a clamp eccentric 14, or other suitable means, is set down hard against the tape in 50 the tube 12 so as to bind it on a rasp 15 therein,

1930. Serial No. 434,342.

and then by pulling on lateral handles 16 of the ring frame 2-3 and being disposed to the rear of the guide and clamp device 12l4, a strong pull can be imparted to the fish-tape.

The handles 16 are preferably demountable so that space may be conserved in a tool kit.

It will be understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit of the invention as it is more directly claimed hereinafter.

What is claimed is: V

1. An clectricians hand tool comprising a frame structure of ring form, and an axleless running reel ring mounted therein and having side walls supportedbyperipheral guides provided in the frame.

2. An electricians hand tool comprising a ring frame structure, and an axleless running reel ring mounted therein and having ring sidessupported by peripheral roller guides in the frame, and a fish-tape guide fixed on the frame and leading tangentially to the runner.

3. An electricians handtool comprising a ring frame structure, and an axleless running reel ring mounted therein, guides in the frame peripherally engaging and supporting the ring, a fish-tape guide fixed on the frame and leading tangentially to the running ring, and a clamp device for locking the fish-tape as to the frame when the tool is to be employed as a puller.

4. An electricians hand tool comprising a ring frame structure, and an axleless running reel ring mounted therein and having side walls whose rims are supported by pe- I ripheral guides in the frame, a fish-tape guide fixed on the frame and leading tangentially to the reel ring, a clamp device for locking the fish-tape as to the frame when the tool is to be employed as a puller; said device including a gripping means on the said tape guide.

5. An electricians hand tool comprising a frame consisting of a pair of laterally spaced, coaxial rings in fixed relation, a system of running rollers mounted between the rings, and a running reel ring peripherally supported by said rollers.

(ill

6. An electricians hand tool comprising a frame having a pair of laterally spaced coaxial rings in fixed relation, a set of parallel running rollers mounted between the rings, an axleless reel ring supported and guided by said rollers, and a fish-tape guide tube fixed to the frame and leading tangentially to the reel.

7 A hand tool for electricians, comprising a frame formed of a pair of parallel, c0- axial rings in fixed, spaced relation,-a troughsection, reeling ring coaxial with and disposed between the frame rings, cross rollers mounted between the frame rings and having guide parts engaging, guiding and supporting the reel ring and forming means to retain a reeled element in the reeling rin 8. A hand tool for electricians, comprising a troughed ring-like runner with outward directed side walls and having attached to the inner face of its bottom a finger piece to facilitate rotation of the ring-runner about its center, and an annular frame with unobstructed i'nnei' circular outline enabling access to and rotation orbitally of the said finger piece and thereby actuation of the runner; the frame having means guiding and operatively supporting the runner.

QQA hand tool for reeling electricians fish-tape and including a narrow-band, annular ring-frame adapted to be ripped at various portions in the operators hands while the tape is being reeled in or is being tensioned, and a reeling runner consisting of a narrow-band ring mounted coaxially with the frame and being operatively supported thereby and having an inwardly extending finger piece accessible through the hole of the ring frame to facilitate rotation of the runner by orbital sweep of the operators finger just within the ring-frame edge.

THOMAS A. DUNAGAN. 

